1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to skylights and, more specifically, to a modular skylight and solar fan combination unit that will allow the installer to install both a skylight and a solar fan into a single rough opening. The present invention cost effectively increases the comfort and health of persons inside of structures in which it is installed.
It is critical to provide a means for accumulated heat to be removed from the uppermost portions of a house or building to prevent heat build-up and to assure adequate air quality therein. Poor air quality not only compromises the comfort level therein but poses significant health risks to the inhabitants thereof due to mold and other such conditions. Static vents are frequently used but are limited in their effectiveness particularly during the summer months or in warmer climates. Electric fans are also used for venting and have been found to efficiently remove a substantial amount of air to reduce the interior ambient temperature but are costly as they rely on the external power supplied to the building structure and also require running electric wires thereto which is labor intensive and could add significantly to the installation cost thereof when being installed in an existing finished structure. Lowering the interior ambient temperature greatly reduces the reliance on air conditioning systems but the cumulative power demands of a properly ventilated community using electric fans still places an unnecessary burden on the local utility which could be critical in times of extreme heat when communities often face brownout or even blackout conditions.
Skylights are frequently used to introduce natural ambient light into dwellings and serve to further reduce the reliance on power provided by public utilities but frequently increase the temperature therein by acting essentially as a magnifying glass. The present invention addresses this concern by utilizing a dual-domed skylight wherein the outer dome is comprised of a white translucent acrylic for reflecting the heat from the sun and diffusing and softening the light entering therethrough whereas the inner dome is a transparent acrylic and operates conjunctively with the outer dome to form a thermal barrier that minimizes the heat exchange from the atmosphere into the interior of the room.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other solar powered devices. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 1,749,343 issued to E. F. Hersh on Mar. 4, 1930.
Another patent was issued to M. H. Nickerson et al. on Oct. 4, 1977 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,769. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,273 was issued to G. J. Devitt on Feb. 21, 1984 and still yet another was issued on Dec. 17, 1985 to T. Oshiro et al. as U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,634.
Another patent was issued to G. B. Hirsch on Jul. 21, 1987 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,815. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,645 was issued to P. R. Wolfe et al. on Feb. 13, 1990 and still yet another was issued to W. Paetz et al. on Oct. 13, 1992 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,481.
Another patent was issued to G. R. Palmer on Oct. 11, 1994 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,601. U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,660 was issued on Jul. 18, 1995 to S. Ohba and on Feb. 6, 1996 M. E. Nix was issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,801.
A cooling structure having an insulated floor, an outer wall, an outer roof, an inner wall extending upward from the floor and spaced from the outer wall, an inner roof associated with the inner wall to thus provide an air circulating space between the outer an inner walls and the outer and inner roofs, a chamber into which said space opens having louvers, ventilators disposed in the floor and ventilating pipes extending up from the inner roof and extending exteriorly to the outer roof and having a damper.
Apparatus and method for venting moisture from the interior of an enclosed space to atmosphere while restricting the flow of ambient moisture back into the enclosed space. A chamber is provided in fluid communication with the substantially enclosed space. Means are provided for absorbing solar energy for heating the interior of the chamber when the chamber is exposed to sunlight. A first pressure sensitive valve is effective to vent moisture, liquid or other fluids from the chamber to atmosphere and to block flow between the chamber and the substantially enclosed space during the periods when the chamber is exposed to sunlight. A second pressure sensitive valve blocks flow of ambient air into the chamber and vents moisture or other gaseous material from the substantially enclosed space to the chamber during periods when the chamber is not exposed to sunlight. The method, according to the present invention, comprises the steps of venting moisture from an enclosed space into a chamber during periods where the chamber is not exposed to sunlight, sealing against backflow of gaseous material from the chamber to the enclosed space and venting the chamber to the atmosphere during periods of heating of the chamber by the sunlight to thereby vent fluid material from the enclosed space to the atmosphere.
A roof vent for flat built-up roofs, having a truncated pyramid-shaped air stack with a protective cap and an internal fan for inducing upward air flow through a check valve at the upper end of the stack. A solar panel provides power for operating the fan, a thermal switch is employed for enabling the fan above an ambient temperature of 50 degrees F. (10 degrees C.) and a humidistat may be employed for disabling the fan below 50% relative humidity.
A ventilation system for a motor vehicle such as an automobile includes a ventilating hole defined in a body of the motor vehicle for venting an interior of the body to atmosphere, and an aerodynamic device such as an air spoiler mounted on the body at the ventilating hole and having a lower surface held against an outer surface of the body, a front surface for forming a negative angle of elevation with respect to an air current flowing along the body while the automobile is running, and a rear surface for separating the air current off said body. The aerodynamic device has a vent hole extending therethrough from the lower surface to the rear surface in communication with the ventilating hole.
The present invention includes a self-contained personal cooling device. It is a one-piece modular component which is pre-wired and interchangeable between different hats. The components of the modular unit are employed in the unit to effect total body cooling by evaporation and forced convection. The unit is powered by photo-voltaic energy. The cooling effect of this modular device is maximized by incorporating air vent slots adjacent to the fan motor assembly to increase the force of air delivery.
A solar ventilator (1) is fittable to an edge (2) having first and second sides corresponding to first and second regions. The edge can be of a barrier, e.g. of a movable window of a motor vehicle or of a building. The ventilator has a suspension (5) for suspending the ventilator from the edge so that the ventilator will be adjacent the first region. The ventilator has a housing (4) having inlet and outlet portions (11, 12) for enabling air to be transferred therebetween from a region to the other region. A fan (13) is comprised by the housing so as to enable the transfer of air. A solar generator (15) drives the fan. The ventilator may be arranged for direct or indirect reception of solar radiation.
Vehicle roof with at least one cover that, alternatively, closes or at least partially opens an opening in a fixed roof surface of the vehicle, carries a solar power source for supplying power to at least one power consuming device that is separately located from the cover, and with a contact device for producing an electrical connection between the solar power source and the consuming device. The contact device is made as a switch arrangement that incorporates the cover so that the power consuming device is connected to the solar power source in one or more predetermined cover positions and is disconnected from the solar power source in all other cover positions.
A structural cooling system is disclosed, which includes an evaporative cooler suitable for cooling a body of air in an upper, enclosed chamber of a structure, such as an attic, and a series of vents or ducts, particularly around the perimeter of the building, for applying the cooled air selectively to high heat-gain portions of the exterior of the structure. An interior cooling system, which may include an air-conditioning unit, is suitable for cooling the interior of the building, but will require only reduced capacity, because of the cooling effect on the structure""s exterior.
An automatic vehicular ventilating system ventilates the passenger room of a vehicle such as automobiles, aircraft, railway passenger cars and ships to maintain air in the passenger room at a fixed temperature automatically. The automatic vehicular ventilating system includes a solar power supply unit having a solar panel as a power supply, a first switch responsive to the output of a thermostat, and a second switch in communication with at least at least one of an ignition switch of the vehicle and a hand brake of the vehicle; an exhaust unit having an air exhaust damper; and a fresh air supply unit having an air supply damper. The air exhaust damper and the air supply damper are driven by electric power supplied from the solar power supply unit.
Designed is a system for recycling abandoned appliances as refrigerators, for conversion into solar applications. Designed is a converted refrigerator into a solar greenhouse, thus extending the growing season in cold climates. Illustrated is a solar powered fan, a skylight with a back reflector, a door window, screen to provide an insect barrier and a recycled refrigerator.
While these solar powered devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.
The present invention discloses a fan/skylight combination unit mounted on a common frame wherein the preferred embodiment includes a fan assembly powered by photovoltaic panels thereby providing increased natural lighting into the interior of the structure while removing excessive heat therefrom. The white outer dome reflects heat therefrom and the air space between the inner and outer domes serves as a thermal barrier to prevent the transfer of heat from the atmosphere into the interior of the structure. The solar rays collected by the photovoltaic panel energize the fan motor and forcibly ventilates the interior of the structure.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a curb mount solar fan and skylight combination unit that will conserve energy by using natural resources to ventilate and illuminate a home or commercial building.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a curb mount solar fan and skylight combination unit that is installed in a single rough opening thereby reducing the time and cost of installation.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a curb mount solar fan and skylight combination unit that doesn""t require the running of electric lines thereto thereby reducing the time and cost of installation.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a curb mount solar fan and skylight combination unit that is environmentally friendly.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a curb mount solar fan and skylight combination unit that will lower the interior ambient temperature within a building in which it is installed.
One other object of the present invention is to provide a curb mount solar fan and skylight combination unit that will introduce natural overhead lighting from the atmosphere into the room in which it is installed without increasing the ambient temperature therein.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a curb mount solar fan and skylight combination unit wherein the skylight is double-domed with an air pocket therebetween to act as a thermal barrier and the top dome being translucent with a reflective finish to reduce heat transfer therethrough and the lower dome being transparent.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a solar fan and skylight combination unit that will improve the overall air quality and reduce or eliminate interior mold.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a solar fan and skylight combination that is aesthetically pleasing and minimizes disruption of the roofline.
One other object of the present invention is to provide a curb mount solar fan and skylight combination unit wherein the mounting frame is configured to allow for the removal of the solar fans for replacement, maintenance or repair without disturbing the roof
Another object of the present invention is to provide a curb mount solar fan and skylight combination unit that is simple and easy to use.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a curb mount solar fan and skylight combination unit that is inexpensive to manufacture to and operate.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing an easy to install curb mount solar fan and skylight combination unit that provides forced ventilation and natural lighting without any outside power demands and provides for the quick and simple removal of the solar fans as warranted.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.